Gipe announces run for seat on Mount Pleasant Town Council

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Tim Gipe

Tim Gipe, a longtime Mount Pleasant resident and former Mount Pleasant Town Council member, has announced he will run for council again. He formerly served under Mayor Johnnie Dodds and alongside current mayor Billy Swails.

A local realtor, the Sumter native is a Citadel graduate.

“I have seen recently in politics that things are getting to be a dirty game. Good people don’t want to get involved with the mess of running and good people need to be in politics,” he said. “I am willing to offer to serve because I love Mount Pleasant and in this particular race I am not running against anyone. I am running for an open seat.”

Gipe applauded the current council members and mayor. But said his 40 years of real estate and development experience could be beneficial.

“I am hoping that by me offering to serve and stepping forward some more qualified people will get back into politics,” he said.

“We have great business leaders in Mount Pleasant who don’t want to take the time to get involved. I want to set the example for other qualified people to get in the arena.”

If elected, his goals are to keep open lines of communication with residents, to create citizen networks to keep people informed and to allow people to really be heard, he said.

Communication of the facts is essential, he explained.”Often people hear something and take off in certain directions without having heard the whole story.”

Having watched the growth of Mount Pleasant since 1975 both as a resident and a realtor and developer, Gipe said he understands the challenges of managing growth properly.

His campaign promise is to run on his civic and community record. He will not use signage to “litter up the town,” he said. His campaign will be a grassroots effort, using word of mouth and social media.

“I don’t think someone will be influenced to vote for me because they saw my name on a sign in a right of way. I will be running on my reputation as a civic person.”

The Moultrie News will have continuing coverage as citizens announce their candidacies. Follow us online at www.moultrienews.com.

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